Penn frat cleared of alleged camel abuse
A University of Pennsylvania fraternity was cleared Monday of alleged camel abuse stemming from an April 15 Spring Fling party. But although the camel's owner also absolved the frat of any wrongdoing, the beast will not be returning to Zeta Psi.
A University of Pennsylvania fraternity was cleared Monday of alleged camel abuse stemming from an April 15 Spring Fling party. But although the camel's owner also absolved the frat of any wrongdoing, the beast will not be returning to Zeta Psi.
One of several animals hired for the frat's annual Spring Fling petting zoo, Kahn the camel was photographed lying on the ground as several young women stood by with plastic cups in hand.
George Leslie, a postdoctoral fellow at Penn's School of Medicine, snapped the picture and distributed it to numerous media outlets. Leslie, 42, described the party, held near 34th and Walnut Streets, as "a terrible scene."
"There was loud music and drunk college students everywhere," Leslie told an Inquirer reporter.
On Monday, a spokesman for Penn said the Office of Student Life had looked into the matter and determined the camel had not been mishandled, said Penn spokesman Ron Ozio.
"As far as the university is concerned, that's the end of the matter," Ozio said.
It was the fifth time in as many years that Kahn had appeared at Zeta Psi, said its owner, Charis Matey, who runs the Peaceable Kingdom Petting Zoo in Bucks County.
"It was a fun day. The students were wonderful. Nothing happened," said Matey. "Then some moron took a picture of the camel laying down eating hay with some girls standing beside him.
"I did nothing wrong. The camel did nothing wrong. The frat did nothing wrong," Matey said. "It was a perfect day, and this guy ruined it."
Leslie could not immediately be reached for comment Monday.
Though the controversy has blown over, Matey said Kahn, who travels with a retinue of goats and sheep, will never return to the Penn campus.
"All the kids are wonderful, gentle, and nice," she said. "But why should I subject myself to that again?"
